LIVE
MDT
Medtronic plc · Medical Devices
$79.34
+0.97% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
BSX
Boston Scientific Corporation · Medical Devices
$45.29
-20.28% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
MDT
3
BSX
2
Comparison scoreboard
MDT LEADS 3/5AI Score
MDT ✓40.3
BSX 40.2
1Y Return
MDT ✓-7.93%
BSX -55.48%
Fwd P/E
MDT 12.38
BSX ✓12.16
Target Up.
MDT +23.52%
BSX ✓+68.87%
Op. Margin
MDT ✓21.30%
BSX 20.60%
Metrics last refreshed: 6/22/2026
Quick take
MDT vs BSX Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
MDT and BSX are the two largest dedicated medical device companies, but with very different recent performance profiles. Boston Scientific has consistently grown faster (8-12% revenue) with innovative products (Farapulse, WATCHMAN) while Medtronic has lagged with execution challenges and slower-growing legacy segments. Medtronic trades at a lower valuation reflecting underperformance but offers potential recovery upside. Boston Scientific commands a premium reflecting its superior growth track record.
MDT vs BSX — Medtronic (the world's largest medical device company with cardiac rhythm management legacy, Affera PFA entry, Hugo robotics launch, and diabetes segment restructuring at a discounted valuation vs peers) versus Boston Scientific (the consistently high-growth device company with Farapulse PFA leadership, WATCHMAN structural heart dominance, and 8-12% revenue growth track record commanding a premium multiple).
Live analysis · updated 6/22/2026
MDT holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. MDT has delivered stronger 1-year price return (-7.93% vs -55.48%), though BSX trades at the lower forward P/E (12.16x vs 12.38x). On fundamentals, BSX is growing revenue faster (11.60%), while MDT maintains the higher operating margin (21.30%) — a classic growth-versus-profitability split. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for BSX (+68.87%) than for MDT (+23.52%).
Normalized 1Y performance
MDT
BSX
Recent returns
MDT
BSX
Analyst price targets & sentiment
MDT
Price target range
analyst mean$98.00
current price$79.34
+23.5% upside to analyst mean
BSX
Price target range
analyst mean$76.48
current price$45.29
+68.9% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
MDT may suit investors who:
- →value Medtronic's 3%+ dividend yield and long dividend growth history — Medtronic is a Dividend Aristocrat with consistent shareholder income
- →see Medtronic's recovery potential as a mean-reversion opportunity — if Affera PFA and Hugo robotics gain traction, Medtronic's discount to Boston Scientific could close
- →prefer Medtronic's lower valuation (20-25x earnings) vs Boston Scientific's 35-40x premium — the valuation gap provides more margin of safety for a lower-growth profile
- →are comfortable with revenue growth lagging peers, Hugo robotics behind Da Vinci, and diabetes segment execution challenges that management must address
BSX may suit investors who:
- →want the best-executing large medical device company with Farapulse PFA early leadership and WATCHMAN structural heart market dominance driving double-digit revenue growth
- →see Farapulse's physician adoption momentum as a compound growth driver as PFA replaces conventional radiofrequency ablation in electrophysiology labs
- →value Boston Scientific's consistent 8-12% revenue growth track record as the most reliable large-cap medical device growth franchise
- →are comfortable with premium valuation (35-40x earnings), PFA competition from Medtronic and J&J, and endoscopy challenger market position vs Olympus's dominance
Performance & AI score
| Metric | MDT | BSX |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 40.3 | 40.2 |
| AI rank | #1065 | #1072 |
| Latest close | $79.34 | $45.29 |
| 1M return | +0.97% | -20.28% |
| 6M return | -19.29% | -52.06% |
| 1Y return | -7.93% | -55.48% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | MDT | BSX |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $9.25K (-7.5%) started 2025-06-18 | $4.47K (-55.3%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $8.12K (-18.8%) started 2021-06-21 | $10.39K (+3.9%) started 2021-06-21 |
| 10Y ago | $15.14K (+51.4%) started 2016-06-20 | $19.82K (+98.2%) started 2016-06-20 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | MDT | BSX |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $101.56B | $67.32B |
| Trailing P/E | 21.27 | 18.95 |
| Forward P/E | 12.38 | 12.16 |
| Price/Sales | N/A | N/A |
| EV/Revenue | 3.35 | 3.74 |
| Analyst target | $98.00 | $76.48 |
| Target upside | +23.52% | +68.87% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | MDT | BSX |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 9.90% | 11.60% |
| Earnings growth | 17.10% | 100.00% |
| EPS growth | +17.10% | +100.00% |
| FCF margin | +11.20% | +13.62% |
| Operating margin | 21.30% | 20.60% |
| Profit margin | 13.20% | 17.29% |
| ROIC proxy | 9.93% | 14.66% |
| Return on equity | 9.93% | 14.66% |
| Dividend yield | 3.63% | N/A |
| Beta | 0.60 | 0.56 |
| Debt/equity | 57.06 | 42.25 |
| Current ratio | 2.54 | 1.90 |
| Quick ratio | 1.55 | 0.98 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
MDT max drawdown30.00%
BSX max drawdown58.43%
MDT max wkly drop7.05%
BSX max wkly drop19.50%
5Y risk snapshot
MDT max drawdown45.10%
BSX max drawdown58.43%
MDT max wkly drop11.81%
BSX max wkly drop19.50%
10Y risk snapshot
MDT max drawdown45.10%
BSX max drawdown58.43%
MDT max wkly drop19.36%
BSX max wkly drop19.55%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | MDT | BSX |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | -7.45% | -55.32% |
| CAGR | -7.46% | -55.37% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.47 | -2.26 | |
| Max drawdown | 30.00% | 58.43% | |
| Max daily drop | 3.91% | 17.59% | |
| Max wkly drop | 7.05% | 19.50% | |
| 5Y | Growth | -28.64% | +3.88% |
| CAGR | -6.54% | +0.76% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.40 | -0.01 | |
| Max drawdown | 45.10% | 58.43% | |
| Max daily drop | 7.26% | 17.59% | |
| Max wkly drop | 11.81% | 19.50% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +17.72% | +98.21% |
| CAGR | +1.65% | +7.09% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.01 | 0.22 | |
| Max drawdown | 45.10% | 58.43% | |
| Max daily drop | 12.82% | 17.59% | |
| Max wkly drop | 19.36% | 19.55% |
Business comparison
| Category | MDT | BSX |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Medtronic plc | Boston Scientific Corporation |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | N/A | N/A |
| Core business | Medtronic is the world's largest standalone medical device company with products across cardiovascular (pacemakers, defibrillators, TAVR valves, cardiac ablation), neuromodulation (spinal cord stimulation, deep brain stimulation), diabetes (insulin pumps, CGM), spine (surgical implants, biologics), and surgical innovations (robotic-assisted surgery). Medtronic's Irish domicile (post-Covidien inversion) provides tax advantages. Medtronic has been investing in robotic surgery (Hugo Robotic Assisted Surgery system) to compete with Intuitive Surgical. The diabetes segment remains a focus area as CGM technology improves. | Boston Scientific is a leading medical device company focused on cardiovascular (structural heart, cardiac rhythm management, electrophysiology), endoscopy, neuromodulation, and urology. Boston Scientific's WATCHMAN LAA closure device is the leading alternative to anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation stroke prevention. Farapulse (pulsed field ablation, PFA) is Boston Scientific's FDA-approved PFA catheter for cardiac ablation — one of the fastest-growing cardiac devices. Boston Scientific's endoscopy division (single-use bronchoscopes, GI endoscopy tools) provides diversification beyond cardiac. |
| Investor focus | Investors focus on Medtronic's organic revenue growth recovery, Hugo robotic surgery launch progress, pulsed field ablation (PFA) competitive positioning in cardiac ablation, and dividend sustainability from strong FCF. | Investors focus on Boston Scientific's Farapulse PFA market penetration, WATCHMAN structural heart growth, electrophysiology expansion, endoscopy division performance, and consistent revenue growth in the 8-12% range. |
MDT strengths
- →World's largest medical device company by revenue: Medtronic's scale provides purchasing leverage, global distribution infrastructure, and R&D investment capacity that smaller device companies cannot match
- →Pulsed field ablation (PFA) opportunity: Medtronic's Affera PFA catheter for cardiac ablation enters a market disrupted by new technology — PFA offers faster, safer ablation for atrial fibrillation
- →Cardiac rhythm management legacy strength: Medtronic's pacemakers and ICDs (implantable cardioverter-defibrillators) are installed in millions of patients globally — the installed base generates replacement device revenue as battery life ends
BSX strengths
- →Farapulse PFA first-mover advantage: Boston Scientific's FDA-approved Farapulse is the leading pulsed field ablation device for cardiac ablation — physician adoption has been exceptional, creating early franchise strength
- →WATCHMAN LAA closure device market leadership: WATCHMAN is the only FDA-approved left atrial appendage (LAA) closure device for stroke prevention in AFib patients who can't tolerate anticoagulants — a growing addressable market
- →Consistent revenue growth execution: Boston Scientific has grown revenue at 8-12% consistently, outperforming the medical device sector average — demonstrating execution discipline across a multi-division portfolio
Risks to watch — MDT
- →Underperformance vs smaller peers: Medtronic's revenue growth has lagged Boston Scientific, Edwards Lifesciences, and other focused device companies for multiple years — execution challenges in a complex diversified portfolio
- →Hugo robotic surgery behind Intuitive Surgical: Medtronic's Hugo robotic surgery platform is in international launch but significantly behind Intuitive Surgical's Da Vinci in installed base, surgeon training, and clinical data
- →Diabetes segment restructuring: Medtronic's diabetes division competes with Abbott (FreeStyle Libre) and Dexcom in CGM — losing ground in the CGM race has required strategy reassessment
Risks to watch — BSX
- →Medtronic Affera and J&J Varipulse PFA competition: Farapulse faces competitive entries from Medtronic (Affera) and J&J — increasing PFA competition could erode Farapulse's early market share advantage
- →Premium valuation reflects growth expectations: Boston Scientific trades at 35-40x earnings — requiring continued double-digit revenue growth to justify the premium vs Medtronic's lower-multiple but slower growth profile
- →Endoscopy competition from Olympus: Olympus is the dominant endoscopy device maker globally — Boston Scientific competes as a market share challenger in endoscopy rather than leader
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